Josephine County, Oregon

County Distress Index: Elevated · 58.2 | 87,821 people · 4th most distressed in Oregon
American Default Research

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Josephine County, OR registers elevated household financial distress with a score of 58.2 — 1061st nationally out of 3144 counties. The primary driver is Housing Cost Burden, where a large share of households spend more than 30% of income on housing. Within Oregon, it ranks 4th of 36 counties. Among its 5 neighboring counties, 4 show less distress.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five statistically derived factors of household financial distress, PCA-weighted. Josephine County's primary driver is Housing Cost Burden at 87.0 — worse than roughly 87% of U.S. counties.

Housing Cost Burden Primary driver 87.0
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 99
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 91
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 69
Homeownership Rate 63
Legal Distress 81.4
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 81
Structural Poverty 78.7
Unemployment Rate 96
Poverty Rate 62
Income vs. State Median 74
Child Poverty Rate 64
Disability Rate 85
Transfer Income Dependency 90
Economic Vitality 76.3
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 89
Rent-to-Income Ratio 87
Business Formation Rate 28
House Price Change (YoY) 74
Consumer Credit Distress 31.7
Debt in Collections 33
Medical Debt 22
Auto Loan Delinquency 12
Credit Card Delinquency 51
Uninsured Rate 48
Subprime Credit Population 31

Scores are percentile-based: 50 = national median, higher = more distressed.

Neighbors and Peers

Neighboring Counties

CountyScoreZonevs. Josephine County
Josephine County, OR 58.2 Elevated —
Del Norte County, CA 62.3 Elevated +4.1
Jackson County, OR 53.6 Elevated -4.6
Siskiyou County, CA 53.6 Elevated -4.6
Douglas County, OR 53.1 Elevated -5.1
Curry County, OR 49.0 Normal -9.2

Population Peers

CountyScoreZonevs. Josephine County
Washington County, MD 58.2 Elevated 0.0
Blount County, AL 58.2 Elevated -0.0
Richland County, OH 58.3 Elevated +0.0
Morgan County, AL 58.3 Elevated +0.1
Vermilion County, IL 58.1 Elevated -0.1

Download Data

Export all distress indicators for Josephine County as a CSV file.

Find Help in Josephine County

Find an Attorney

Oregon State Bar — Lawyer Referral Service offers a lawyer referral service for bankruptcy, foreclosure defense, and consumer rights.

Oregon State Bar — Lawyer Referral Service 503-684-3763 (Portland); 1-800-452-7636 (statewide)

Free Legal Aid

Legal aid organizations serving Josephine County residents at no cost.

Legal Aid Services of Oregon 503-684-1032 (Portland); 1-800-684-1032 (statewide hotline)
Oregon Law Center 541-672-3429 (Roseburg); 541-485-1017 (Eugene)
Willamette Law Online — Oregon Foreclosure Avoidance Project 503-370-6051

American Default Research does not endorse, rate, or rank any provider. Verify attorney credentials with your state bar.

Need legal help? Find a foreclosure defense attorney in Oregon →

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Frequently Asked Questions

  • What is the distress score for Josephine County, Oregon?

    Josephine County has a County Distress Index score of 58.2 out of 100, placing it in the Elevated zone. It ranks 1,061st nationally out of 3,144 counties and 4th in Oregon out of 36 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Josephine County?

    The primary driver of distress in Josephine County is Housing Cost Burden, where the county scores 87.0 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Rent-Burdened (30%+), Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+), Mortgage-Burdened (30%+).

  • How does Josephine County compare to neighboring counties?

    Josephine County (58.2) can be compared to its 5 neighboring counties: Del Norte County, CA (62.3); Jackson County, OR (53.6); Siskiyou County, CA (53.6).

  • How is the County Distress Index calculated?

    The County Distress Index uses PCA-weighted percentile scoring across five statistically derived factors: Consumer Credit Distress (47.5%), Housing Cost Burden (22.3%), Structural Poverty (13.6%), Economic Vitality (9.2%), and Legal Distress (7.4%). Each county's indicators are ranked against all 3,144 U.S. counties. A score of 50 means the county is at the national median; higher scores indicate greater distress.

  • How often is the CDI updated?

    Annually, aligned to Census American Community Survey and Urban Institute Debt in America release windows — the slowest-moving source inputs. Between annual refreshes, faster-cadence indicators (BLS unemployment, QCEW wages) may drive light mid-year updates if a specific component moves meaningfully. Current data compiled April 14, 2026; next full refresh early 2027.

  • What does the Elevated zone mean?

    The CDI divides counties into five zones: Healthy (below 46), Normal (46–55), Elevated (55–71), Serious (71–86), and Crisis (86 and above). Josephine County's score of 58.2 sits in the Elevated zone (55–71).

  • What data sources power Josephine County's CDI score?

    Josephine County's CDI score draws on Urban Institute Debt in America (Equifax credit-bureau panel), U.S. Census Bureau (American Community Survey 5-year, Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates), Bureau of Labor Statistics (LAUS, QCEW), U.S. Courts Administrative Office (F-5A bankruptcy filings), and HUD Fair Market Rents. Every number on this page traces to one of these public sources.

  • What is the population of Josephine County?

    Josephine County, Oregon has a population of approximately 87,821 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a mid county.